Asahi Kasei Pharma (Head office: Tokyo, Japan; President: Kazuyoshi Hori) has entered into a global strategic collaboration agreement with Orion Corporation (Head office: Espoo, Finland; President and CEO: Timo Lappalainen) for the discovery, development, and commercialization of new pain management therapies.

Four discovery phase candidates, two being provided by each company, are subject to joint development under this agreement. Each company has the right to exclusively license the other’s development-ready programs, with all development costs to be shared by both companies.

Asahi Kasei Pharma will have exclusive marketing rights in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia excluding Afghanistan and Pakistan, while Orion will have exclusive marketing rights in Europe and Central Asia. The companies will pay each other cross royalties on sales within their respective territories. The optimum marketing configuration for other territories will be determined through mutual discussion.

Asahi Kasei Pharma looks forward to enhancing the efficiency of its R&D while expanding its development pipeline as an effect of this strategic collaboration with Orion.